Readers React: A 12-cents per gallon gas tax isn’t too much to ask to pay for better infrastructure

To the editor: I am disheartened that there are so many voters willing to put up with unsafe roads and bridges and damage to their vehicles rather than pay a few pennies more per gallon for gasoline. (“Majority of California voters want to repeal gas tax increase, poll finds,” May 24)

In the last five years, 26 states have raised fuel prices to pay for road repairs. Vehicles are getting many more miles per gallon now than when the current gasoline tax rate went into effect. Electric vehicles using our roads and highways without contributing anything at all toward upkeep will start paying an annual fee in 2020.

Those concerned over the recent higher gas prices should put some blame on the White House and its erratic foreign policy decisions.

Doris Dent, Northridge

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To the editor: Gov. Jerry Brown said that the “stupid” ballot measure to repeal the new gas tax is “nothing more than a Republican stunt to get a few of their losers returned to Congress.”

Brown misses the whole point of the matter. It has nothing to do with Republicans and everything to do with the people of this state getting tired of being ripped off with no say in the matter.

Do we need funds for roads and other infrastructure? Yes, but don’t take any more money out of my pockets unless I vote for it. Use this year’s budget surplus, which is more than enough.

Kenneth Dean, Santa Clarita

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To the editor: The 12-cent per gallon tax is about the same as a $5 increase in the price of crude oil when passed directly to the consumer.

Crude prices have been on a roller coaster since mid-2014, when prices per barrel peaked at $108, reaching a low of $30 at the beginning of 2016 and now hovering around $70.

This price swing is equivalent to about $1.80 per gallon of gas. An upward price shift of 12 cents per gallon is not very noticeable in recent history, and this 12 cents will help pay for much needed transportation infrastructure maintenance and upgrades rather than going into the pockets of oil-rich billionaires.

California voters ought to tell the Republican Party to lobby oil-producing countries to save us dollars per gallon of gas rather than repealing a 12-cent tax that benefits the state.

Carl Mariz, Irvine

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